Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353
Washington, D.C.-Senator Tom Cotton (R-Washington) today released the following statement on President Obama's decision to maintain current troop levels in Afghanistan through the end of 2016:
"President Obama is handicapping his own efforts in Afghanistan by setting another arbitrary withdrawal deadline. That the withdrawal will occur just prior to the end of his presidency confirms that the President is more concerned with campaign promises than with our troops's safety and our nation's security. The President's decision fails to match the reality on the ground in Afghanistan. Just last week, the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, testified before Congress that Afghan forces still have significant gaps that will prevent them from securing Afghanistan and defeating the Taliban and the growing presence of the Islamic State. Our commitment must match our objectives, and an arbitrary withdrawal will be a costly mistake."
